1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to headrest apparatuses for MPVs (multi-purpose vehicles) and, more particularly, to a headrest apparatus for an MPV which is configured such that, when a rear row sinking seat enters a sinking mode, a headrest can be automatically completely housed in a storage space in such a way as to slide without requiring a user to perform an additional operation of pushing the headrest downwards, thus being more convenient for the user, and which has a simple structure, thereby having a reduced weight.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, according to vehicle shape, vehicles are classified into passenger cars, which can carry a comparatively small number of people, buses, which can carry a large number of people, trucks, which transfer freight, and trailers, which carry large equipment, containers, etc.
Furthermore, there are high-occupancy vehicles (also referred to as one-box cars) in which a trunk and a passenger compartment are integrally formed. Recently, multi-purpose vehicles (hereinafter, referred to as ‘MPVs’), which can carry large loads of equipment required in a variety of sports or leisure activities, are becoming more widely used. MPVs are typically configured such that a rear seat is folded to expand trunk space, thus making it possible to carry larger loads.
FIGS. 1A and 1B are perspective views showing an example of a method of housing a sinking seat in a seat storage space in an MPV according to a conventional technique.
FIGS. 2A and 2B are sectional views illustrating a process of completely housing the sinking seat of FIG. 1B in the seat storage space.
As shown in the drawings, a rearmost-row sinking seat 10 of vehicle seats includes a seat cushion 11 on which a passenger sits, a seatback 13 which supports the back of the passenger who is sitting on the seat cushion 11, and a headrest 15 which supports the head of the passenger. The sinking seat 10 may include left and right sinking seats which are integrally provided with each other.
The above-mentioned MPV has a three-row seat structure. The sinking seat 10 is disposed on the rearmost row, that is, the third row, and is configured such that it can be folded and housed in a seat storage space 60 formed in a floor of the MPV.
FIG. 1A illustrates a normal seating mode of the sinking seat 10 that is not folded. FIG. 1B illustrates the sinking seat 10 that is folded and housed in the seat storage space 60 of the MPV.
In the drawings, reference numerals 30 and 40 respectively denote a position of the sinking seat 50 when it is in the normal seating mode and a position thereof when it is housed in the seat storage space 60.
In the conventional MPV having the above-mentioned construction, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, when the sinking seat 10 is housed in the seat storage space 60, the seat headrest 15 is placed on the seat cushion 11, thus making the seatback 13 protrude upwards from the upper surface of the floor 20, whereby a stepped portion is formed between the seatback 13 and the floor 20.
Therefore, to remove the stepped portion and make the seatback 13 level with the floor 20, an additional process of pushing the seatback 13 downwards is required, thus inconveniencing the user.
Furthermore, a headrest apparatus for inducing sliding of the headrest when the sinking seat 50 is completely housed in the storage space is comparatively complex and large, thus increasing the weight of the vehicle, and causing deterioration in quality.
Meanwhile, another prior design introduces a headrest apparatus having a seatback-interlocked front-back sliding function. In this prior art, the entirety of a headrest assembly is locked at a position, at which it has slid forwards from a seatback, thus satisfying a regulation value of a distance that the headrest protrudes forwards from the seatback. When the seat enters a sinking mode, the headrest that has been in the locked state is automatically released in conjunction with the folding operation of the seatback and then slides backwards. Therefore, the prior art makes the folding of the seatback smoother. However, in this prior art, the upper surface of the seatback is still not completely level with the floor when the sinking seat is housed in the storage space, thus requiring the user to push the seatback downwards. Also, the headrest apparatus is complex and large, thus increasing the weight of the vehicle, and deteriorating operation quality.
The information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.